# Am I just cold or something?



## Minnow (Jul 12, 2010)

tl;dr: Other people sob about poverty, death, and suffering, and I don't.

Basically, I'm taking this class about the global food system and we have to discuss stuff about it online in a forum-esque website. Anyway, we've been reading about how manipulative Big Evil America was and is and how third world countries are suffering and have huge poverty numbers, etc.

On many of the discussion posts I've read, people are mentioning the tears they shed whilst reading, and the terribleness they feel for everyone and how they feel so trapped and unable to help and stuff. Super dramatic.

The thing is that I completely didn't expect those responses to this week's reading. I didn't have them, or anything close to them. And it's not like I don't care about the sufferers, I really do, and I am a very empathetic person, but I just don't feel those emotions they're going on about.

I'm actually getting kind of annoyed at so many drama-filled posts. I just want to so _get on with it._ It's not the end of the world. And crying about it won't do a damn thing anyway.

I mean, yes, it's really sad and stuff, but being sad isn't going to change anything. If you care so much, go out and do something about it.

I don't know. Maybe they're just playing up the drama in their posts because they're afraid other people will think they're heartless, or because they aren't great communicators or something, but it's kind of sickening.


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## departuresong (Jul 12, 2010)

People grieve differently.


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## Minnow (Jul 12, 2010)

Does it count as grieving? I don't _feel_ any grief. I'm not even confused. I understand that the system is the way it is, and I do feel a strong urge to change it, but I just don't _feel_ the same way the others do.


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## spaekle (Jul 12, 2010)

I wouldn't worry about it too much. At least you acknowledge that the problem is serious. Compare with my 11th grade English class, where some guys found it funny that some women in Afghanistan set themselves on fire because that's better than living under the Taliban. :\


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## 1. Luftballon (Jul 12, 2010)

maybe they're the sort who are still stuck in the grief stage and haven't gotten to the "okay, now what's the real problem?" stage?


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## Minnow (Jul 12, 2010)

Still in Depression, rather than having moved on to Acceptance?


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## 1. Luftballon (Jul 12, 2010)

sure. what's that a reference to? I know I've heard it somewhere, but I don't remember where.


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## Minnow (Jul 12, 2010)

Five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance


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## Minish (Jul 12, 2010)

It's not exactly helping anyone at all to feel horribly sad and cry over poverty and people without rights all over the world, but... that's not really why people do it. Nobody genuinely thinks that it's helping to show grief for it. For some people it's just a natural reaction.

You say it's not the end of the world, but it might as well be (especially for the millions of people dying every day). But I guess I can understand how you might not be able to relate to people so far away or something?


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## Michi (Jul 12, 2010)

At the risk of being called heartless, cruel, evil etc...
I don't care about any of those people any way. I get ticked when my stepmother says to "shut off the water, there's people who don't have any!"
"Yeah, but I don't live in Africa, I DO have water! And how the hell is it supposed to magically get from our faucet to another cotinent?"
So yeah. It's sad and all, but I don't see why I should give a damn if I can't possibly do anything about it.
My friends say I'm a cruel person. I think I am.


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## Vladimir Putin's LJ (Jul 12, 2010)

Because obviously turning off the tap is a superhuman effort.

You don't come off as evil, just as a spoilt kid from a first-world country.


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## Dannichu (Jul 13, 2010)

Little Monster said:


> It's sad and all, but I don't see why I should give a damn if I can't possibly do anything about it.


Uh. You _can._ People's conditioning that makes them think that nothing they can do will make a difference (so why try?) annoys me like nothing else. 

There's absolutely loads of little things you can do - environmental changes affect people in third-world countries far more than developed ones, so anything you can do that helps save energy - walk places instead of using a car, turning off the lights when you leave a room, turning things off rather than leaving them on standby, not wasting water, _whatever_ - helps people around the world.

When you go shopping, you can choose to spend your money ethically; do some research and look up which clothing companies use sweatshops and avoid them. Buy things second-hand because reusing things puts less of a strain on the environment. Look at where your food comes from - is it grown in your town or state or country, or was it flown in from halfway across the world?

There are hundreds of humanitarian charities you can support that help people in poor countries, by donating time or money. You can sign petitions and take part in events that raise general awareness of the condition that people across the globe live in. 

Apologies for being so soapbox-y, it's obviously anyone's choice to do or not do any of the things I've listed, but to say "I can't do anything" is a lie.

Also - since when has ability to do something about a situation affected how much someone should care about it?


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## Music Dragon (Jul 13, 2010)

Here's the sad truth: people could do something about it, but won't. They care and feel genuinely sorry for all those people - but, conveniently, they don't feel sorry enough for it to actually make them do something about it. If you wanted the world to be fair, you'd sell everything you have and donate it to someone in Africa (and still be better off than a lot of people), then spend the rest of your life working for some charitable organization. Unfortunately, you don't want the world to be fair. Not really. You want to have potable water, clothes, education - fine, maybe you don't, whatever - a comfy bed to sleep in and a reliable internet connection.


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## Lili (Jul 13, 2010)

I disagree with it, but my father just says, "Better them than us" to everything. Someone's homeless and starving? "Better them than us." Someone's house just burned down destroying all of their possessions? "Better them than us." Someone had their child die of an illness? "Better them then us." Someone's living in a third-world country? "Better them than us." (I think he forgot the horrible time his own mother had in Nicuragua)
But I myself honestly try to save water, eat organically, and I usually have the lights in my house off, except the hall light at night. But a lot of people will take it for granted because they'll never have to be in a third-world country and they think they'll always be happy and healthy and sleep comfortable every night with a full wallet.


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## Minish (Jul 13, 2010)

Music Dragon said:


> Here's the sad truth: people could do something about it, but won't. They care and feel genuinely sorry for all those people - but, conveniently, they don't feel sorry enough for it to actually make them do something about it. If you wanted the world to be fair, you'd sell everything you have and donate it to someone in Africa (and still be better off than a lot of people), then spend the rest of your life working for some charitable organization. Unfortunately, you don't want the world to be fair. Not really. You want to have potable water, clothes, education - fine, maybe you don't, whatever - a comfy bed to sleep in and a reliable internet connection.


I think it's a bit cynical to use "people" so generally. There are many, many people who do a lot to help others, which at least says _something_. I know very few people who truly don't want the world to be fair.

Anyone who fights against their natural human selfishness for even just a moment is definitely someone who cares. And there _are_ a lot of people who live their entire lives in charity - not many can do it, but they're there, fighting every day.


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## Music Dragon (Jul 13, 2010)

I don't think it's cynical so much as realistic.

In any case, sure, every little thing you do contributes and that's great. The I-am-but-one-man-what-can-I-do attitude is pretty annoying, since it doesn't make any sense at all. But don't delude yourself into thinking you care more than you actually do.

I guess what really bothers me is self-deception. I'm not expecting anyone to donate everything they own to the Red Cross, but if you're not going to do anything, at least admit that you're a selfish bastard like the rest of us.


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## ultraviolet (Jul 13, 2010)

> I don't care about any of those people any way. I get ticked when my  stepmother says to "shut off the water, there's people who don't have  any!"
> "Yeah, but I don't live in Africa, I DO have water! And how the hell is  it supposed to magically get from our faucet to another cotinent?"


that's not the point she's trying to make; you should appreciate the things you have and shouldn't waste them, especially water. and honestly knowing that you're wasting water and doing nothing about it is a dipshit thing to do, I'm sorry.


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